Final answer:
The Spanish integrated Native Americans into their colonial systems, provided a degree of protection and legal recourse, and imposed their religion, leading to a mix of cultural retention and transformation that differed significantly from the British approach in North America.
Step-by-step explanation:
The major differences between the Spanish and the Native Americans can be understood through looking at their different approaches to colonization, culture, and land use. First, the Spanish viewed the indigenous peoples as subjects to be integrated into their colonial system, often through mestizo descendants, which led to a degree of protection as long as they paid tribute and adhered to Catholicism, unlike the British, who typically pushed the natives aside. Second, while indigenous people in Latin America were often able to bring their grievances against Spanish settlers to local courts, Native Americans had no such legal recourse in North America. However, native languages and traditions continue to thrive in Central and South America, while the tribal cultures in North America have faced more challenges in preservation.
Lastly, the Spanish imposed their religion and aimed for a cultural transformation of the Native Americans, a process which was resistant but often resulted in the preservation of native languages and cultures in Spanish America, as compared to the more complete cultural destruction faced by natives in North America.